Sliding elements in the form of bushes or half shells are often produced from strip-shaped input stock. On account of their efficient means of production and the resulting favorable properties, rolled plain bearing bushes are being increasingly used. In this case, the initial material for the production is a strip having a smooth surface and, in some cases, embossed lubricating pockets or hole patterns. The strips are normally cut into plates and to a bush contour and are then bent in a circular shape. Respective embodiments of rolled sliding elements can thus already be adapted in a simple manner in the strip material to the respective requirements. Such sliding elements are used in general machine building, such as, for example, in construction and agricultural machines, and in particular as a connecting rod bush in the small connecting rod eye or as a piston boss bushing in the automotive sector.
Laid-Open Specification DE 199 07 571 A1 discloses a rolled plain bearing bush which has a bush width varying in the circumferential direction. To this end, the bush is produced from a strip section of varying width produced beforehand. Before the shaping, a bevel is applied to the flank sections of the formed plate by a further method step, for example by embossing. A varying bush width is intended in particular to save weight in the plain bearing bush pressed firmly into position and is at the same time to be adapted to the geometrical boundary conditions of a connecting rod or piston. After the rolling, the plain bearing bush is not subjected to any further machining of the width.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,626 discloses a rolled plain bearing produced from strip-shaped material. The strip material is provided with grooves, along which the strip is cut into pieces before the shaping process. Each strip section obtained in this way is then rolled into a bush.